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Equipment Performance Report: Vehicle Tracking Devices

NCJ Number
117430
Author(s)
P Brechbiel; M Menaker
Date Published
1990
Length
54 pages
Annotation
This report presents test results on five transmitters and four receivers used by police to locate or follow vehicles used in criminal activities.
Abstract
The items tested were Audio Intelligence Devices' transmitter TX-602A and receivers RX-360 and RX-890B; Mobile Electronic Tracking Systems' transmitter M7047 and receiver M7101; Household Data Services' transmitters BT-175 and BT-180; and Ocean Applied Research's transmitter VB-342 and receiver 347ED. A system, consisting of a transmitter and a receiver with appropriate antennae, provides distance and direction information between the transmitter and receiver. No item tested met all the requirements of the applicable standard (NIJ Standard-0223.00). Results show that some equipment did not perform well at high or low temperatures or at voltages higher or lower than specified; however, each item tested performed satisfactorily in many tests. The data provided in this report can guide the prospective purchaser in selecting the equipment that performs best under the conditions in which it will be operated. As an aid in evaluating the performance of an overall system, figure of merit values are included with the test results. 4 tables and appended supplementary information and a glossary